Clothing pattern



May 22, 1951 H. COLLINS CLOTHING PATTERN 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1949 Juvcntor [Var/y Col/ins \Tttorncu May 22, 1951 H. COLLINS CLOTHING PATTERN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 25, 1949 FR O/VT (COL amsa) Fig. 6.

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attorney la tentecl May 22, 1951 CLOTHING PATTERN Harry Collins, New York, N. Y., assignor to Harriet Collins, New York, N. Y.

Application amass, 1949, Serial No. 72,629

3 Claims. (01. 33-12) This invention relates to a pattern for making clothes, such as ladies dresses, which pattern is adapted for use by the home dressmaker.

A large number of women make their own clothes either to reduce the cost of new clothes, or for aesthetic and pleasurable reasons, since sewing is creative. Paper patterns are commonly used. However, only a small number of those making their own or their childrens clothes are successful. The reason for this lack of success is the usual bewilderment that results from complicated directions usually accompanying paper patterns relating to the method of cutting into the material or to the subsequent fitting together of all the various pieces. The home garment maker cannot be certain that a dress when completed will be as becoming to her as promised by the picture on the pattern envelope. Even if she puts the pieces of the paper pattern together and tries it on, the paper itself makes it impossible for her to have a clear idea of what the dress will finally look like on her. Furthermore, the paper is very easily torn, therefore preventing the repeated use of a given pattern for making other dresses. Additionally, the paper pieces when pinned together do not have a tendency to conform to the shape of the womans body, but instead will tend to sag and hang away therefrom.

In custom dressmaking, the procedure used by professional dressmakers for accurately fitting individuals is to provide a muslin pattern of the dress to be duplicated. This muslin is fitted on the individual and corrections may be made. Thereafter, the muslin is placed on the dress material, and the dress is cut. Because of the expense involved in providing muslin patterns, and for other reasons, they are not adapted for home use. An outstanding disadvantage of muslin is that it does not tend to cling to the figure of the person being fitted, and, instead, tends to drape away therefrom.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a novel pattern for making dresses and the like which is devoid of the abovenamed disadvantages of paper or muslin patterns.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a pattern made of substantially indestructible material which is superior to and less expensive than muslin, and which is only slightly more expensive than but greatly superior to paper -a1so, which has additional novel characteristics had by neither paper or muslin, making it ideally suited as a pattern material.

A still more specific object of this invention is to provide a pattern made of transparent plastic material to enable the home sewer to more clearly see how a particular pattern becomes her, and for other reasons set forth in detail hereinafter.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel method of dressmaking comprising assembling pieces of a pattern by sewing them together with a kind of stitching that may be readily pulled apart, and which will leave perforations through which powder marks, such as applied by a powder puff, can be made on the material to be cut to serve as a guide for cutting or sewing seams, etc.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification taken with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a woman fitted with a half pattern embodying the principles of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the half pattern shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary top view of a shoulder portion of the pattern shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. l is an enlarged fragmentary portion of the pattern immediately beneath the arm pit;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VV of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VI-VI of Fi 3;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary side View of the pattern, and

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line VIIIV1II of Fig. 7;

Referring more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, numeral i denotes a pattern made in accordance with the present invention, which comprises a front half portion la, extending to the vertical center line of the front portion of a womans figure, and a rear half portion lb similarly extending across one-half of the rear portion of her figure. For the sake of economy, and because the other half would be a mere duplicate, only a half pattern is required. Even in cases where slight differences may occur in opposite halves of a womans figure, it is merely necessary to turn the half pattern inside out to make a proper fitting.

An important feature of the present invention is that the pattern is made of plastic material, such as' a vinyl plastic, cellophane, and preferably a transparent plastic material. It comprises a plurality of pieces which are sewn together at scams 2 by means of chain stitching. Referring to Fig. 3, there is shown a collar portion 3 made.

up of two sheets of plastic of identical outline and sewn together by a chain stitch 4 by means of a chain stitching machine (not shown). Similarly, a yoke is shown having a chain stitch 5 for attaching the yoke to the pattern. The arcuate cut-out portion 6 is adapted to fit around the arm. I prefer a chain stitch, since by mere pulling of the thread, the seam may be very readily ripped and the, parts of the pattern may be separated to serve as guides for cutting out correspondingly shaped pieces from the garment material.

In Fig. 4 the arcuate cut-out portion 1 fits underneath the arm and chain stitching orseama.

8 is extended downwardly of thearmpit, 1eav,-.

ing two marginal portions 9 and l 0 of the pattern,

which extend from the seam on the inside of the pattern as shown more clearly-in-:-Figs. 4

and 5.

As shown in Fig. 7 the front portion Ia of seam of chain stitching there extend seam pore tions; such as I2 and I3, inwardly of the pattern.

An'outstanding feature arising from the use of a transparent plastic pattern is that it makes it possible for the home sewer to try on thepattern and'know with certainty whether the dress is becoming to her. She can see whether the shoulder seam is correct, where the neckline fin ishes, etc. She can drape her material under the plastic pattern and see how the finished dress will lock. Thus she eliminates the gamblewith time or fabric in the use of paper patterns whereby getting a dress to fit and to be becoming is generally a matter of pure luck. By eliminating chance, the use of a plastic pattern makes successful home dressmaking practically a certainty.- Although the woman buys only half a dress pattern, this is sufficient for her to see if it is becoming. Furthermore, at all times she can see what she is cutting to match stripes, plaids or lines, which is impossible, or at least extremely difficult, with the use of ordinary paper patterns.

Another outstanding feature of the plastic pattern-involving the present invention is that it enables the wearer to readily make adjustments to suit the wearers figure. The pattern is originally put together by a professional dressmaker so as to be virtually a finished product, thus elimihating the necessity of skill on the part of the home sewer. Thus directions can be made extremely simple and concise. All the woman has to do is to slip the half dress pattern on to determine whether it truly fits. If it does not, she makes adjustments to suit and fit her figure. If

the shoulder seam is too narrow, she makes it wider-;; if it is too long, she pins it up to a becoming length; if it is too wide, she takes it in before she cuts into her material from which she will make the dress. The above is extremely dife ficult;- to do by using paper patterns which are pinned together because the many pieces of pattern are extremely difiicult toadjust. As a result' of this difiiculty, the ,dress maker often cuts and wastesher material.

Aiurther outstanding advantage of plastic ma:-

76 for cutting thereof and insure accurate fittingof terial over paper or muslin in a dress pattern is the heretofore unrecognized characteristic of plastic material to cling to the wearers body so as to closely conform to the contour of her figure. This enables easy and precise adjustments as well as an accurate fit. Paper and muslin, on the other hand, tend to sag and fall away from her figure.

Another outstanding feature of the present invention resides in the method of putting the various pieces or sections of the plastic pattern together, which comprises chain stitching by a chain stitching machine. By the use of such stitching-,:it becomes an easy matter to pull the thread andopen the seams to take the pattern piecesl'apart; The various pieces are then laid on the fabric to be cut and by following simple principles of .sewing,;a perfect fitting garment is obtained.

Another important feature in the use of such chain stitching is that the needle leaves permanent perforations which always remainin the plasticsotha-t they may be used as a guide'for That is, after" markingthe garment to be cut. the pattern piece -islaid on the garment, then byapplying a-powderpufforcommonchalk, corn starchor--similar-material, over the perforated holes-, mark-ings on the fabric may be easily made so as-to provide-a-clearguide to cutting. 1 This eliminates the necessit of basting the fabric or using tailor-tacks, pins or a tracing wheel thereon. The-old method of so-called tailor tack comprises stickingcross pins or cross stitches through the paper pattern-and thereafter pulling up the is virtually indestructible, it cannot be destroyed by stitching or adjusting and becomesa basic pattern thatcan be used-again and again; For example,-if the pattern was bought by a mother, andafter making adjustments forher figure, she decide'd she would liketouse the pattern'for her daughter, she -canreadily adjust the fabric so as to make itsmaller or larger.-

still another advantage of the use of plastic is that markings for pockets, hemline or, trimminglines-are'plainly seen-even where or 'how to make'a bow: This cannot be done except by marks in-a paper'patterngwhich are usually not very-distinct and which are confusing, that is,-

the marking forgrain of goods and trimming are usually the same. I

Thus it" will be seen that I have provided a novel type of pattern made of transparent plastic materialwhich enables,the home sewer tosee exactlyavhat the finished'garment ,will look like after the pattern-is slipped on her figure, and.

which ,clings to and readily adjustable ,to her figure without the necessity Of following complicated directions, and theparts of which are sewn togethenby stitchinguvhich can be easily ripped made by chainstitching of .which may be. powdered.

to deposit marks on, the cloth to serve as, guides the finished garment-also which pattern is relatively inexpensive and substantially indestructible so as to be usable over and over.

While I have illustrated and described a certain specific embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that this is by way of illustration only, and that various changes and modifications may be made within the contemplation of my invention and within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A garment pattern comprising a longitudinal front half and a longitudinal rear half attached together, said halves having color contrast to prevent confusion therebetween, each half comprising a plurality of sections of transparent plastic material whose edges are sewn together by readily detachable chain stitching in a manner so as to approximate the finished appearance of the garment to be cut therefrom, said material being sufficiently thin and pliable so as to closely cling and closely conform to the contour of the body of the wearer, said sections when pulled apart by detaching said stitching leaving perforations outlining the sections through which a powdery substance may be introduced for marking a garment on which the sections are laid to serve as guides for cutting.

2. A dressmaking pattern comprising a front portion and rear portion secured together with chain stitching, said portions being of difierent coloring to prevent confusion therebetween, each portion comprising a plurality of sections of transparent vinyl plastic material whose margins are sewn together by chain-stitching in a manner so as to approximate the finished appearance of the garment to be cut therefrom, a number of said sections having an excess of material that may be bunched, said material being of such thinness and pliability so as to cling and closely conform to the contour of the wearers body, said portions and sections when pulled apart by pulling of the thread of said chain-stitching exposing 6 perforations through which a powdery substance may be introduced for marking a dress material on which the sections are placed to provide guide lines for cutting.

3. The method of making a dress which comprises sewing together, by chain-stitching, a plurality of pieces of transparent plastic material of sufficient thinness as to closely cling to and conform to the contour of the body when worn and in the form of a front portion and rear portion sewn together as an integral unit, thereafter slipping the pattern onto the wearers body over an undergarment, visually observing the appearance of the undergarment through the transparent pattern and matching it therewith, tucking in loosely fitting parts and making other adjustments of the pattern so as to accurately fit the wearers body, pulling the threads of said chain-stitching so as to separate said pieces and leave marginal perforations, and finally placing said pieces on the garment to be cut and introducing a powdery substance through said perforations so as to mark the garment for cutting.

HARRY COLLINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 56,892 Brigham Aug. 7, 1866 385,637 Ledoux July 3, 1888 626,182 Marsden May 30, 1899 998,039 Rose July 18, 1911 1,051,943 Baldwin Feb. 4, 1913 2,077,772 Ring Apr. 20, 1937 2,123,881 Cushman July 19, 1938 2,231,436 Cieri Feb. 11, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 427,300 Great Britain June 29, 1933 

